1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to innovative processes used to dye textile materials, to dye and fortify rubber materials prior to and after product formation, and to color and revitalize plastic prior to and after product formation. Because it employs a particular chemical bonding system, it should be considered useful on a wide selection of natural and synthetic organic polymers and organic chain polymers to achieve a broad range of desired effects, among them, but not limited to, mildew resistance, sizing, creation of printable or paintable surfaces, glazing, sheen, artistic coloring effects, UV protection, abrasion resistance, and many more.
2. Prior Art
Textile dyeing has been done for thousands of years; the process has almost always involved the application of a pigment or dye in solution which, when heated and applied to a textile, would allow the colorant (dye or pigment) to seat itself in the fibres of the textile material. An after-process of curing using heat is employed to fix the colorants and to regularize the color dispersion and to dry the dyed end-product, thereby allowing the colorant to be as fixed to the textile as possible. This general approach has been used since dyes and pigments were derived from natural sources such as shellfish through the era where coal-tar derivatives were used and through the era where synthetic dyes and pigments were developed, which is the current state of the art. Chemically different coloring solutions and varying degrees of heat are required for the different classes of fibres: cellulosic, polyester, amide, aramide, for example. Different equipment is also required to apply those processes: highly-pressurized kettles, heated dye troughs, pre-wash baths, finishing ranges which can be anywhere from one roller of 36″ diameter to ranges fully two stories high and several hundred feet in length, etc. Some textile materials, such as polypropylene, Kevlar, Nomex, Teflon, etc remain resistant to the above processes and were, until now, considered undyeable. In most textile manufacturing facilities, the bottleneck which limits the amount of available finished goods occurs in the processing department (which includes the dyeing processes). One way of alleviating that bottleneck is to send raw textile goods (yarn, fabric, etc) to a dyehouse, that is, another company who will contract dye yarn or fabric if the end-user does not have dye kettles, continuous dye ranges. or other proper equipment and expertise of their own. This contract-dyeing is employed by a great percentage of textile manufacturers. This invention will address some of the problems inherent in the aforementioned state-of-the-art processes, provide dyes for fibres previously considered undyeable, save costs when compared with current methods, and greatly streamline the process of dyeing while yielding a finished dyed product as good or better than that produced by means currently employed. Note that the terms used relative to textile applications in the descriptions herein are known and understood by persons conversant with current textile treatment procedures.
Among existing active patents and applications, none could be found which describe a complete dyeing system with a process which is novel in both concept and execution as compared with current practices used in the textile industry. The nearest relevant related art falls into several categories: (A) Dyeing for Special Fabric Effects: U.S. Pat. No. 8,523,957 Arioglu, et al is concerned with cellulosic fibres (cotton denim and blends); U.S. Pat. No. 7,201,780 Schoots Apr. 10, 2007 is limited to cotton or cotton blends dyeing; Application 20060282957 Schoots Dec. 21, 2006 is an improvement on his previous patent, similar processes described; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,740,214 and 5,330,540 McBride et al both deal with specific dye effects (mottled or hammered appearance and pattern dyeing) in which heat is used; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,622,040 and 4,622,041 and 4,622,042 Nichols Nov. 11, 1986 describe three methods of dyeing tufted nylons for carpets; U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,650 Gregorian, et al deals with dyestuffs added to a foamed composition for specialized effects (carpets). (B) Stimulation of Dye Bath to Encourage Penetration: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,270,236 and 4,329,146 Zurbuchen et al; U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,740,666 and 7,674,300 and 8,182,552 Janssen, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 8,182,712 Maekawa, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 8,439,982 and Application 20120047665 Yager all refer to exotic stimulants to improve dye penetration such as electrophoresis, superheated steam, electric current, magnetoheological fluid, ultrasonic vibration, microwaves and are not dye systems per se, but system enhancers. (C) Additives for Dye Penetration and Fixatives: U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,254 Buhler, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,720 Kent et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,979 Bella, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,672 Barfoed, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,544,297 Liu et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,254 Buhler et al; U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,168 Fabbri, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,389,627 Annen; U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,710 Smith, et al; and Applications 20120309077 Sachdev; 20100047531 Baum, et al; 20090158534 and 20090255064 Jungen et al describe additives to heated dyebaths to enhance dye penetration and attachment such as oleylamines, bioscouring enzymes, enzyme catalysts, alkali solutions, supercritical fluid carbon dioxide, diazonium salts, etc, and are adjuncts to presently standard dye systems. (D) Dye Methods for Specific Situations: U.S. Pat. No. 7,398,660 Shalev, et al requires heat and specially-designed apparatus for application; U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,062 Fuller et al uses heat (under 100 degrees C.) for carpet dyeing; U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,035 Craycroft, et al involves heating (below 280 degrees F.), rinsing and at least two stages of heating; Application 20110083283 Valldepras-Morell, et al refers to recycled dye baths and uses heat to dye a limited range of fibres; Application 20040194234 Bartl, et al describes a process for use on non-wovens which requires heat (150-240 degrees C.) and treatment times of 15 seconds to 60 minutes.
In the area of rubber coloring, the literature is sparse. U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,998 Calvo et al refers to a paint application to the outer surface of rubber, not a true dye of the rubber itself, and requires heat; U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,284 Durham describes a pigment used to make inks and paints for rubber application; Applications 20140338809 Nakamura and 20140360645 Takashi, et al describe adding color to tires by affixing a separate rubber piece of a different color to black tires (The present inventor has spoken with the assignee of these applications and they do not have a product or process which will accomplish what the process of this application will); Applications 20020119314 and 20020128366 Coffey are pigment coatings using heat for application, not dyes, for use on recycled tires used in playgrounds, road surfaces, soil additives, and landscaping mulch. These processes are different from the process described in this application in that they require heat to apply, are not intrinsic dyes, and are used on rubber materials which do not require close performance tolerances with respect to stretch, modulus, recovery, etc, which means these processes could not be used on, for example, rubbers used as textile elastomers. The present invention will not greatly change the performance characteristics of rubbers that have functions more sophisticated than the end-uses specified in the prior art.
As concerns applications for coating and/or coloring plastics, U.S. Pat. No. 7,361,702 Schwalm, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,716,905 Bremser, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,653,394 Meisenburg, et al and U.S. Pat. No. 6,534,588 Locken, et al are primarily for OEM automotive paint use as UV inhibitors, free radical inhibitors, etc. The present inventor has dealings with the assignee of the foregoing patents and has been assured there is no BASF product which functions like the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,870 Concepcion, et al describes a golf ball coating which is a paint/primer and sealant 2-step process, and is not a dye. Application 20150004424 Kruesemann, et al, is also a base coat/sealant 2-step application for OEM automobile paint which requires heat to address “jetness” of blacks and UV protection by using pigments (also a BASF Application). U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,855 Shih, et al is primarily concerned with styrene plastics, is aqueous-based, and is used in the liquid latex form and requires heat (at room temperature this process would take from 1-35 days to complete). Applications 20060124017 and 20060258784 Adam, et al requires sophisticated plastics manufacturing apparatus with a good deal of heat and are for use in a pre-extrusion (i.e., pellet form) state. Applications 20140342100 Valeri, 20140057115 Treadway, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,619 Petrmichl, et al are for use primarily as abrasion-resistant coatings in optical products and require heat in application. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 7,960,031 and Application 20110073171 Pickett, et al, require heat to provide UV protection, abrasion resistance, etc. U.S. Pat. No. 8,877,295 Chilla is for a primer and color coat (2 steps) for auto plastics and requires heat. U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,565 Emmons has a multi-purpose coating, uses heat in a multi-step application process. Application 20130243962 Lomoelder, et al describes a coating, solvent-based, for use on OEM automobile finishes and uses heat for curing (up to 80 degrees C.); see also German Patent Application DE 10 2012204298.9 Mar. 19, 2012. This application presents options reminiscent of U.S. Pat. No. 6,177,496 Luzon, especially in the use of diisocyanate variations. This last mentioned Patent is distinct from the present invention because it refers to coatings used for various purposes, not intrinsic dyes, but coatings which may carry colors; it also differs in that there are no surface preparations necessary for the vast majority of uses of the present invention. As the present invention does not require heat, it is distinct from nearly every reference in the sources; furthermore, there was no mention of use of these coatings as “plastics revitalizers,” that is, a coating which will bring a plastic surface back to as good, or in many cases, better than original appearance while at the same time providing a cleaner for that surface, a protective layer, and, if desired, a color. These advantages are gained by a one-wipe application at room temperature, air dried, with no need for heat curing.